The Pittsburgh Steelers announced Saturday afternoon that they are hiring Mike McCarthy as their next head coach. This is a big move, bringing a Super Bowl-winning coach back to his home state. McCarthy, who is from Greenville, PA, is returning home at age 62 to coach the team he grew up watching.
The hire came as a shock because Pittsburgh made the decision before doing in-person interviews with two popular young coaches from the Los Angeles Rams: Chris Shula and Nate Scheelhaase. The team did virtual interviews with them in the second full week of January. People expected the Steelers to wait until after the NFC Championship game to meet them in person.
The rushed decision raised questions since McCarthy wasn’t in high demand. According to Heavy.com, the Tennessee Titans were the only other team that talked to him, and they already hired Robert Saleh. The Steelers interviewed McCarthy in person on Wednesday but still had days before they could interview Shula and Scheelhaase face-to-face.
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McCarthy’s experience and connections made him the clear choice
McCarthy brings 18 years of head coaching experience and a Super Bowl ring to Pittsburgh. He coached the Green Bay Packers from 2006 through 2018, posting a 125-77-2 record. He then spent four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, going 49-35.
His overall regular season record is 174-112-2, though his 11-11 postseason record shows mixed results in the playoffs. At 62 years old, McCarthy is now the oldest head coach the Steelers have ever hired. While some teams struggle with coaching changes, others, like the Chiefs, have had to bring back former coordinators to fix offensive issues.
McCarthy’s Western Pennsylvania roots played a big role in the decision. He also has an existing relationship with the front office, having previously worked with Steelers general manager Omar Khan and assistant general manager Andy Weidl. That connection likely outweighed the chance to interview the young Rams coaches.
The coaching market was also shrinking quickly before the announcement. Jesse Minter went to the Baltimore Ravens, and Klay Kubiak chose to return to the San Francisco 49ers. If the Steelers didn’t see Shula and Scheelhaase as strong options, hiring McCarthy made sense, even though reports said both Rams assistants interviewed well virtually. In other sports news, UFC fighter Cameron Smotherman recently provided an update after his weigh-in collapse.
The biggest question now is whether Aaron Rodgers will return for the 2026 season. Rodgers played the 2025 season in Pittsburgh, and many thought he wouldn’t come back after Mike Tomlin left. Steelers owner Rooney told reporters on January 14, “Aaron came here to play for Mike so I think it will most likely affect his decision.”
However, McCarthy’s arrival changes everything. Rodgers played his first 11 years under McCarthy, winning two MVP awards and a Super Bowl MVP. While reports say the Steelers didn’t hire McCarthy just to keep Rodgers, it certainly makes convincing the 42-year-old quarterback to play one more season much easier.
Published: Jan 25, 2026 01:15 pm